Pandora Dreaming An Avatar Fanfic
by Musical Grace
Summary: Okay, so this is my first fanfic. Grace Bird, an Australian, was handpicked to join the Avatar Program on Pandora. Her journey and new life will hold some unexpected surprises. Better then it sounds? Please R&R!
1. Chapter 1

**Pandora Dreaming **

**Epilogue and Chapter 1**

A girl, about 13 years old, stared out of her window. She had a frizzy mass of coppery brown hair, which was currently tied up in a messy knot resting on the nape of her neck. She had pretty eyes which were either an earthy green, an unearthly blue or a mixture of both. They glinted with intelligence and a certain _spark _that was becoming increasingly hard to find in people. She had a small and apparently cute button nose. Her lips were small, average. The top lip decisively smaller than the lower. She had a slender neck, slightly muscled shoulders and a strong middle section. Her legs were long and powerful. The girl had spots of acne on her forehead, back and chest. She'd had them for a long time, almost so long that she had gotten used to it. None of her friends had ever had acne this bad for so long. The girl sighed, wiping the condensation off the window.

The girl peered out the window, as she had done many times. The scene staring back at her had changed so many times. Her family owned the large-ish house in what was left of the country. The house was worth a fortune, since it was surrounded by trees and had about half an acre worth of land. They used to be surrounded by large acreages and not many people. Now, hundreds of lights glimmered in the surrounding valleys and hills.

The girl frowned and turned back to her book, her eyes skimming across the words, soaking up the information. She pulled the old doona up around her waist and glanced once again through the window, into the night. She wished she could see the stars. She hadn't seen them in years, except on TV. Too many lights. The girl pulled her knees closer to her body and settled the book on her waist, continuing to read until her eyelids drooped and her eyes barely registered the words she was reading. She placed the book delicately on the wooden floor, touched the panel which extinguishes her light and settled into her bed. The girl dreamt of glowing planets and massive blue people. She dreamt of what she had been reading of. She dreamt of Pandora.

**Chapter 1**

10 years later, a woman was settled in a very familiar position. Knees curled close to her chest, book nestled between her legs and her chest. Her green blue eyes skimmed across the pages, the words transporting her to another world. One which she would soon experience for real. The woman looked up and glanced through the foggy old window in another familiar gesture. Her still fuzzy, coppery brown hair hanging in ringlets just above her shoulders, her lips morphed into a frown. City lights flickered in the distance. Dawn was coming. The woman closed the book delicately, the old, worn pages rustling softly. The woman threw off the bed covers and quickly changed into a soft, comfortable t-shirt, a pair of worn jeans and some bright blue joggers. She raked her fingers through her hair and tied it up into a rough pony tail. She glanced at the bags by her bed. A backpack and a duffel bag. Packed and ready to go, sitting by her bed for a week, a steady reminder that she was going to be shot into space in such a short time. She walked into her spacious bathroom, grabbing her toothbrush and toothpaste, scrubbing her teeth vigorously.

Once she was done with everything, the woman swung the backpack onto her shoulders and shouldered the duffel bag. Its contents were her clothes, necessities and some personal items. The flinty gravel crunched under her joggers and she turned once more to look at the house in which she had lived in for most of her life. She smiled sadly, because she had the feeling she would never see this place again. The woman pocketed the keys to the old house and walked past the overgrown garden, past the jungle of weeds and trees and out the rickety gate. She packed her belongings into the boot of the idling taxi and as she was just about to climb into the antique car, she stopped. The woman pulled out a small tablet looking thing, pressed a button and it came alive. She pointed it at the house and pressed the screen. She saved the picture onto her tablet, turned it off and placed it back into her backpack. She turned and climbed into the taxi, driving away from her memories and towards her future.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Grace twirled her coppery hair nervously between her slender fingers as she drove. She glanced all around her, at the glittering walls and ads of the city. She hadn't been to the city in _years. _The last time, she had been living here, doing her Avatar training. That had been a grueling, but interesting, four years Grace didn't want to repeat. But here she was now, going to the RDA to be put in cryo and shot into space for six years. The thought still made butterflies swarm in her belly and made her twirl her hair even faster. Grace held PhD's in Pandoran botany and the Na'vi language. She knew a smattering about Pandoran fauna. She was an overachiever, and had naturally been picked to be shipped to Pandora.

Grace parked her car in front of the imposing RDA facility. She closed her eyes and exhaled slowly, trying to calm her frizzing nerves. She opened her eyes and checked her watch. 11:45 am. She had fifteen minutes to get everything inside and mentally prepare herself to be frozen within an inch of death for six years. Nothing big. "C'mon Grace" she murmured to herself, her Australian accent thick. Grace opened the car door and peeked outside, noticing for the first time this morning the sky. It was clouded over, the sun hidden behind the grey clouds. Not that you'd be able to see it anyway. There was too much smog in the inner city. Grace sighed and slid her Maui Jims over her eyes. She hefted herself out of the car, closed the door behind her and went round to the boot. She lifted that open, slung her backpack over her shoulders and, for the second time today, shouldered her duffel bag.

Grace locked her car and walked, or rather staggered, towards the entrance. As she walked through the entrance, the air conditioning hit her like an icy wave. Grace walked over to the Info desk. She smiled at the clerk. "Hi. I'm Grace Bird" said Grace. When the clerk looked at her blankly she said "Avatar driver?" The clerk nodded and pointed down a hall.

"They're down there. Good luck."

"Yeah, thanks."

Grace walked through the white hall. It reminded grace of a hospital, sterile and 'safe'. Grace hated hospitals. At the end of the hall, she saw a group of men and women in tall, black coats. They all looked very professional and cold. Then she saw another group of people, milling around under the cold gazes of the suits. Grace smiled, despite her nerves, and moved towards them. Suddenly, a hand fell on her shoulder. She turned to find herself facing a tall, stern looking man.

"Are you an Avatar Driver?" he asked. Grace smiled faintly and nodded.

"Yep, just arrived" she said cheerfully. The man frowned, as if her cheerful attitude was off-putting. He gestured to a small table with hundreds of plastic name tags on it.

"Pin on your name tag and give your luggage to the ship crew" he said, his voice a monotone.

"Ok. Um… when are we… you know, being put unconscious?" she asked hesitantly. The man sighed.

"Soon."

"Oh. Ok then…" Grace was about to head over to the name-tag table when the man grabbed her arm again.

"Your accent is strange… Australian?" he asked softly. Grace smiled.

"Yep. Good guess. Well… I'm gonna drop off my stuff…" she said nervously, inching towards the other bags. The man nodded and turned away. Grace breathed out and muttered under her breath; "Weird much?"

She dropped her duffel bag and backpack with everyone else's and wandered over to the name-tag table. Grace digs her tag out and pins it to her soft shirt. Grace wanders over the where the Avatar Drivers are milling around. She walks up to the nearest woman. "Hi, I'm Grace Bird" says Grace with a smile. The woman frowns at Grace in confusion.

"Grace…Bird. Are you Australian?" she asks slowly. Graces frowns.

"Uh… yeah. Why?"

"Grace! Remember me! Niki Blake! You're best friend!" Niki squealed. Grace frowned and was about to say no, when she stopped herself. Niki… Blake… Best Friend… Grace's eyes widened. She gasped.

"Niki!" Grace squealed. The two women hugged ferociously. "Omigosh, where have you _been!_"

Niki laughed."I should say the same to you!" Niki paused. "Are you an Avatar Driver?" she asked softly. Grace nodded eagerly.

"Of course! Are you?"

"Of course!" The two women squealed again and hugged. Suddenly, a voice came over the intercom.

"_Morning everyone. Please get into a line in alphabetical order, I trust you can do that? Good. The kind staff will be laying you down in a white pod and putting you to sleep now. Then we'll be ferrying you all up to the ISV Venture Star. You will wake up six years later orbiting Pandora. Have fun and thank you."_

Grace and Niki glanced at each other; their nervousness amplified tenfold by the announcement. "Well… here goes nothing…" murmured Niki as the two friends hobbled into line. Everyone peeked in front, eager to see what was happening. The person lay in the sterile, white pod and closed their eyes as the medics injected them with something. Oh so exciting. Grace fiddled with her hair again, twirling it faster and faster between her fingers. One of the suits noticed Grace's nervousness and came over.

"Don't worry sweetie, it doesn't hurt. You just get drowsy and then… wake up." The woman smiled encouragingly. Grace smiled faintly in return.

"Thanks. You guys aren't coming are you?" Grace said softly. The woman shook her head. "Oh. Ok, well it was nice meeting you!"

"Grace Bird?" called the medic. Grace glanced at Niki, breathed in deeply and walked towards the white pod. She lay on the soft material and closed her eyes. Grace distantly heard a medic call Niki's name. She felt a small, sharp prick in the crook of her elbow, where the medic inserted the needle. Grace felt drowsy, as if she was slipping, falling. Grace entered cryo, a deep, suspended slumber for five years, nine months and twenty-two days.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Cold. That's all Grace felt. Cold. Slowly, she regained feeling in her body. Slowly, everything warmed. Grace's eyes fluttered open. She was in the white pod… strapped in. She was floating, under the straps. Grace parted her dry lips, like a fish out of water. She inhaled the recycled air, breathing for the first time in nearly six years. Suddenly, she was moving… backwards. A white, harsh light blasted her eyes, forcing her to squint. Grace looked around her. Pods were coming out of the honeycombed walls everywhere. Machines whirred and people, hundreds of people, woke up from the suspended slumber. She was in a tunnel looking hollow space with white and blue walls. Soon, a medic floated into view. She checked on Grace, making sure she was ok. At first, Grace's voice didn't work. Her vocal cords hadn't been used in six years. Then, her voice came out as a harsh whisper. "We're- Uh… are we at Pandora?" Grace asked the medic hesitantly. The woman smiled and unstrapped Grace.

"We're in orbit. Your accent's different. Where're you from?" she asked kindly. Grace gripped the pod, anchoring herself.

"Uh, I'm from Australia."

"Oh, that's why. Long way from home" joked the medic. Grace nodded and frowned, her brain still slightly muddled. The medic mistook her frown for sadness.

"Oh… uh-sorry. Just a joke we, the crew, have" she said softly. Grace nodded and smiled brightly.

"S'ok. There's nothing but my house for me on Earth" she said. Eager to change the subject, Grace said; "Long haul huh? Earth-Pandora. About twelve years each trip?"

The medic woman nodded, inching away from Grace.

"Yeah. Long haul… Um, I gotta check on some more people, but it was nice meeting you!" The medic floated away. Grace gathered herself into a crouch, still hanging onto the pod. She surveyed the scene before her. Pods were still ejecting from the walls, people coming out of cryo. A voice came over the intercom.

"_Welcome back to life, ladies and gentlemen! We are currently in orbit of Pandora, and waiting for you wake up. Please, if you feel nauseous, use the goddamn bags provided! Seriously, that stuff is plain nasty if it's just floatin' around. Your lockers have clothes and some necessities in them. We'll be callin' the shuttles soon. Thankyou."_

Grace smiled and let go. Of course, she had been put through zero G training, but this was the real deal. It was EPIC. Grace pushed off her pod, sending herself flying through the air, towards the nearest wall. Grace reached out… and grabbed a locker handle. She spider-walked, locker to locker, until she found her name inscribed on one. _Bird, Grace._ "That's me" she mutters under her breath. Grace pulls open her locker and finds a change of clothes, a chain with key-looking-things on them and some papers all strapped in.

Grace peers down and realizes that she's wearing a white hospital gown. She grimaces and eagerly shoves the clothes under her arm. Grace grabs the chain and wraps it around her neck and folds the papers carefully, grasping them firmly in her hand. She turns and pushes off the wall, soaring towards a medic. Unfortunately, she misjudges the distance and collides with him. "Oof! Oh, sorry!" Grace says. The medic scowls at her.

"What!" he demands roughly. Grace blushes, her face nearly as red as her hair.

"Uh… just wondering where the loo's are?" she murmurs. The medic rolls his eyes and points to the long line of people.

"Over there, but I'd say you're gonna have to wait awhile!" he remarks, smirking. Grace _hrmph_s and pushes off, careening towards the lineup.

Two hours later, Grace emerges from one of the cubicles, changed into fresh clothes, bladder empty. She grins at the people still in line and launches into the free, zero G space. Grace floats on her back and studies her key-looking-things that are attached to the chain around her neck.

_Grace Bird, Avatar Driver. Level G3, Blue. _Grace frowns at the card, trying to work it out.

"I think they're for identification" says a familiar voice. Grace twists, with difficulty, and turns to see Niki Blake grinning at her.

"Niki!" exclaims Grace, hugging her friend. "Long time, no see." Niki laughs.

"Yeah, six years! Where've you been Gracie?" she says jokingly. Grace punches, or tries to, her friends arm. Suddenly, the voice rang out over the intercom again.

"_Now, I hope you've all gone to the lavatory, ladies and gents! We're going to ship you down in two shipments. The first ship will contain all those whose surnames begin with the letters A to M, please make your way to the Port! The others, please stay where you are for the time being."_

Grace and Niki headed towards the Port, kicking off from whatever they could find. Eventually, they made it to the desk by the Port. The clerk, like the one on Earth sat behind a desk.

"I.D. cards, ladies" he said, smiling. Grace and Niki showed him their cards, both were blue, and he directed them towards the Valkyrie ship. The two women seated themselves near the front windows.

Once everyone was onboard, the captain came over the ship's intercom. _"Ladies and gents, welcome aboard the ship. We'll be departing immediately, and arriving at Hell's Gate in approximately 2 hours. This ride may get bumpy!"_


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Grace and Niki reached behind them and grabbed the harnesses from the wall. They strapped themselves in and, while waiting for the ship to leave the ISV Venture Star, took the chance to look around. The seats where brown, the harnesses green. The roof of the Valkyrie was a sterile white, while the floor was a dirty black, as if it had been worn down. Grace peered out the window beside her. The inky blackness of space stared back, the stars sparkling in the distance, a constant reminder of how very far away they were from Earth, from home. _No_ Grace thought _Pandora is home now._ She craned her neck, trying to see below the giant ship. Unfortunately she couldn't see Pandora yet, but at least she could see Polyphemus. Grace stared at the gas planet, wide eyed and awed. The photos back on Earth just didn't do it justice. It was a _humongous _ball of swirling, multicoloured gas. There were massive swirls of pinks and purples, outlined with dense oranges and pale reds. It was absolutely phenomenal.

Suddenly, the ship gave a lurch. Grace grabbed the edge of her seat until her knuckles went white. The captain's voice came over the intercom again. _"Right, here we go, folks! Heading towards Pandora, our estimated T.O.A. is round about 3 o'clock local time. Please make sure you're strapped in properly, because this is gonna be a bumpy ride!" _ The captain laughed.

Grace and Niki shared a nervous glance before returning to ogle at the view. The Valkyrie parted from the Venture Star, gliding through space towards the large blue green planet of Pandora. As soon as they entered the atmosphere, the ship's zero gravity disappeared, making everyone land hard on their metal seats. Grace and Niki had their faces practically pressed against the thick glass as they entered the Pandoran atmosphere. The clouds were a brooding grey and very thick, making sure no-one could see a thing. Suddenly, the ship burst through the clouds, flying over a jungle of dense rainforest. A mysterious mist hovered amongst the large trees. Grace and Niki barely uttered a word the whole trip, both women too busy soaking up their first glimpse of Pandora.

About 45 minutes later, the steely grey form of Hell's Gate appeared on the horizon. Five small shapes approached the bulky form of the Valkyrie. Samson Scorpions, come to guide them to Hell's Gate.

As the Valkyrie flew over the imposing fence surrounding Hell's Gate, the captain came over the intercom again. _"Welcome to Hell's Gate. There is a exopack for everyone, above your head. Put them on as we land and DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT take them off until you're safely inside Hell's Gate. Thank you."_

Grace turned and plucked her exopack off the wall, then returning to stare at the unfolding landscape. Hell's Gate was looming before them now, its massive grey form so different from the Pandoran flora surrounding it. She remained sitting until the shuttle landed n the tarmac. Grace practically leapt off her seat, grabbing her exopack on the way. She strapped it around her head and slipped the plastic over her face, activating the oxygen flow. She took her first breath and peered through the slight condensation. "This'll take some getting used to" she muttered. Grace couldn't wait until they got to try out their Avatars. She waited for Niki to get up and join her.

As everyone rose to their feet and the doors of the shuttle cracked open, the Pandora atmosphere hissing into the shuttle. Everyone peered over everyone else's shoulders, trying to get a good view of their new home for the next 6 years.

It was raining, the sky clouded over. Grace sighed. She'd been hoping that her first glimpse of Pandora would be sunny, beautiful and green. Instead, she got the metallic grays of Hell's Gate and the tarmac. _Still_ she thought _I'm on Pandora! AND Niki's here. How bad could it be? I can't wait 'till we get to try out our Avatars… _ Grace listened impatiently as the captain strolled through their ranks, checking their masks. Finally, he nodded and everyone trotted forwards, eager to get out of the shuttle. Grace jogged outside, her Key-Card bouncing on her chest. She stopped and did a 360, taking everything in. The shuttle was _massive _now that she wasn't in it. The tarmac was a used grey, people scurrying to and fro. A Samson took off near her, making her hair dance around her head. She looked up Hell's Gate. The main tower was tall and imposing, floor to ceiling windows. _Must have a great view…_ she thought enviously. Suddenly, she saw the fence. It was about a two stories tall, barbed wire etcetera with turrets mounted every so often. But it was what was _beyond_ the fence which captivated Grace's attention. Pandora. The real Pandora. _And somewhere out there are the Na'vi…_ Grace thought, stunned at how close she was to the wild jungle.

"Oi! You, redhead! Get moving!" shouted one of the marines. Grace felt her cheeks heat up and she scowled, but chased the rest of the scientists and Avatar Drivers.

As Grace reached the massive hulking door, she paused, waiting for one of the marines to open it. As they did, she followed the group into the small space. Air hissed and a light flashed green, signaling that they could take their masks off. Grace did so, taking a deep breath. A second door was pulled open, and the small group was ushered through, into Hell's Gate.

One of the marines moved forward to the front, stopping everyone. "Alright everyone, listen up" he said gruffly. Everyone hushed. A voice sounded in the near distance over the intercom. "Come this way, don't stray. I'll be taking you to the Mess Hall where you will meet the rest of the Avatar Drivers and scientists. There, you'll wait for the second shipment of people to arrive. Then you'll get the Safety Talk." Here, he smirked. Grace frowned and glanced about herself again. It was a maze of corridors in here, signs on every turn and the intercom coming on at random intervals. The walls were a dull grey, the only colours were the signs and the people themselves. "…right, let's go" said the marine, jolting Grace out of her thoughts. She hurried to catch up, again.

The group finally arrived in the Mess Hall, a gigantic empty room with tables and chairs laid out orderly around the room. There, the group milled around for about half an hour. Grace felt a nudge in her ribs and turned to face the nudger, scowling and instead found Niki. She cracked a grin and jabbed her best friend in the ribs. "Hey" she said. Niki smiled in reply. "Hey. Out on the tarmac, I heard 'em shout at a 'redhead'. Was that you?" she asked, grinning. Grace rolled her eyes. "Yeah. But I was admiring the lovely grays of the tarmac. And the jungle. Did you see the fence? It's so… ugh. Dull and grey and… enclosing" she said. "Know what I mean?" Niki's eyes lit up.

"Definitely. I _cannot_ wait until we get to try out our Avatars-"

"You're gonna have to!" cut in a chirpy voice. Both the women turned, frowning, to see the second shipment of people entering the Mess Hall. The cutter-inera was a tall, handsome, cocky man probably about 23/24.

"Eavesdropping is considered rude, you know" remarked Grace irritably. The man ignored Grace, extending his hand to Niki.

"Bond. James Bond" he said, grinning. Niki giggled and shook his hand. Grace just raised an eyebrow.

"Seriously?" she asked drily. James nodded.

"Seriously. " Grace rolled her eyes, moving towards a chair. Niki followed after a moment's hesitation, glancing over her shoulder at James. He winked. Niki giggled again, joining Grace in a chair. Grace glanced over at her friend and punched her shoulder gently.

"You're _such_ a flirt" she said, smiling. Niki wriggled round in her chair to face Grace.

"Just 'cuz you've never been asked out…" she said, trailing off. Grace frowned and looked away. Niki sighed. "Right, sorry Gracie." Grace looked over at the other woman, smiling slightly.

"It's fine, Nickers" she said, her grin growing. Niki groaned and smacked her forehead.

"I can't believe you remember that!" she said, exasperated. Grace laughed and twirled her hair again, waiting for the Safety speech to begin.

They didn't have to wait long. Soon after, the Head of Security; Miles Quaritch came strolling in. Dressed in full camouflage gear, a gun on his hip, marine buzz-cut and three scars across his right temple. He walked up the aisle slowly, purposefully. "You're not in Kansas anymore" he said, his American accent strong. "Ladies and gentlemen, you're on Pandora. Out there, beyond that fence, every living thing that crawls, flies or squats in the mud wants to kill you and eat your eyes for jujubes. If you want to survive, you have to a strong mental attitude. You must obey the rules. Pandora Rules. Rule number one: Always have your exopack with you…"

After the speech, Niki and Grace walked slowly up the grey corridors, studying each sign, trying to see where they were. Suddenly, a voice from behind them said; "Lost, ladies?" The two women turned and found themselves facing a small, petite woman. The woman smiled and stuck out her hand. "I'm Abby. Avatar Driver. You two newbies?" she asked kindly. Grace and Niki nodded, introducing themselves and shaking Abby's hand firmly.

"We're heading to the-" Grace began.

"Avatar Lab!" interrupted Niki. Grace rolled her eyes and nodded. Abby smiled and beckoned them, starting to walk back the way they'd come.

"This way then" said Abby. Grace and Niki followed immediately, not wanting to get lost again.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Grace and Niki followed Abby quietly, soaking everything in. They almost crashed into her as she stopped in front of a large room. "This" said Abby, "is the Avatar Lab." She waved her hand towards the room. Grace and Niki walked slowly into the room, gazing around themselves in wonder.

"Awesome…" breathed Niki. Grace didn't even speak, her eyes wide. There were shelves of Pandoran plants in jars, books stacked haphazardly, tablets lying around and screens. Scientists everywhere, new and old. A couple of new Avatar Drivers were wandering round too. Abby laughed at their reactions and walked past them, towards another room. Niki and Grace followed in awe. Abby winked at them.

"Here're the Avatars" she said softly, waving them through. Graced grinned and Niki followed on her heels. A fascinating sight greeted them. Many massive cylindrical amnio tanks lay in rows throughout the room, their casing being removed. Grace glanced back at Abby, who was approaching them. She beckoned them again. They trio walked a few paces forwards , then Abby pointed out one amnio tank. "That's yours, Niki" she said. Niki practically ran over to the tank, examining the contents wide eyed. Abby beckoned Grace forward. Grace complied immediately. Abby pointed to another amnio tank. "That's your Avatar, Grace" she said softly. Grace followed her finger, walking slowly over to the tank. She pressed her hands up to the thick glass. Inside, submerged in amnio fluid, was Grace's Avatar. She looked like a Na'vi, except she had 5 digits instead of 4 and she had eyebrows. Her slender tail was curled around her blue thigh, her inky black hair covering her chest.

"Oh… wow" Grace breathed. She turned to Abby. "When do we get to take them out?"

Abby grinned at her. "They're getting decanted now, so tomorrow" she said. Grace turned back to the Avatar. _Her_ Avatar.

Hours later, after they'd been introduced to nearly everyone and been lectured on Lab protocol, Niki and Grace wandered into their room. It was small, two single beds on either side of the room. Two nightstands, one cupboard and two chests of drawers. On the right was a small on suite. A shower/bath, toilet, sink, mirror, etcetera. Grace gazed around the room, which would be their bedroom for the next 6 years, if they survived. She walked over to the right-hand bed and dumped her bags onto it. "So, this is my bed then" she said. She looked over at Niki who was over at the window, gazing out of it. Grace moved beside her. "Well, at least we got a good view" she said, smiling sadly. Niki nodded and returned to her bed, beginning to unpack. Grace moved to see out of the window properly. There was some green grass that stretched to the fence. Beyond the fence was the Pandora jungle. Bewitchingly beautiful and incredibly dangerous.

Later that night, Grace lay on her sheets in her pj's. Niki was already asleep, her soft snores echoing around the room. Grace smiled sadly and got up silently, placing her bare feet on the cold floor. She tiptoed over to the window. Even though it was night, light flooded in. Hell's Gate was never dark, in that sense. Grace couldn't even see the bioluminescence of the plants beyond the fence. She sighed and padded back to her bed, lying on her sheets again. Earlier, she had unpacked everything in, to the chests and cupboard. She'd placed her few personal items on her nightstand. A few photos and such things. Grace sighed and closed her eyes, trying to convince herself to sleep. But she just couldn't get Pandora out of her mind, her Avatar. How she was _of_ her, but not her. Eventually, Grace fell asleep.

The next day, Grace awoke slowly, disoriented. She gazed around the room in confusion, her eyes settling on the sunlight streaming through the windows. Then, her gaze skipped to the bed across the room from hers. Someone had obviously recently slept in it, for the sheets were a mess.

"Grace! Come _on_" shrilled a voice. _That almost sounds like Niki…_ Grace thought groggily. Then everything came rushing back to her.

"Oh. _Oh_" she said to herself. Niki stormed into the room.

"Grace, hurry up! We're linking to our Avatars today, they've just called us to the Lab!" she said, pulling Grace off her bed. Grace gasped.

"Oh _crap!_" she said. Niki threw her a shirt and some pants while she got her shoes on. Grace pulled her pj's off and the fresh clothes on. She pulled on her runners and tied up her hair in a messy bun. Niki handed her her white lab coat and they both rushed to the Lab.

They got there just as the other Drivers were linking up. Grace cast around for Abby. Eventually, she found her and dragged Niki over to her.

"Sorry!" she said, blushing. Abby frowned at them.

"Hurry up, everyone else has already linked." She pointed to one link-bed and motioned for Niki to go into it. Then she pointed to another and pushed Grace towards it. Grace ran over to the link bed and practically jumped in. One of the Lab Technicians walked over and started up the link. Grace glanced over at Niki and saw her doing the same. She rested her head on the jelly like mattress inside the link-bed. She made sure everything was in order and pulled down the metal frame onto her body. All the sensor lights started glowing. Grace reached up, all her Avatar training flooding back to her. She grasped the outside of the link-bed. She glanced over at the technician. The woman nodded and turned back to the tablet, pressing various buttons. Grace pulled down the lid and closed her eyes. She distantly heard the technician say; "Phase Lock 50%" Grace sighed and squeezed her eyes tight as she felt the little machine rest gently against each of her temples.

Suddenly, bright lights appeared in her mind. Suddenly, she was flying forward, whooshing sounds getting louder and louder. The tunnel changed colour again and again until everything built up until Grace thought she wouldn't be able to bear it any longer… nothing. Grace breathed in deeply. She felt things moving around her. Her eyes fluttered open. At first, everything was blurry and Grace couldn't make out anything. But her eyes focused and she found she was looking up into two human faces looking down on her with exopacks and white full-body suits on. She breathed in again, frowning. "She's in" said one of the people. The other technician turned to her.

"Welcome to your new body, Grace" she said, smiling. The male technician clicked his fingers next to her ears. Grace felt them flicker in response. She could hear… everything. Before Grace had time to explore her sharper sense of hearing, a bright light flashed over her eyes. She blinked rapidly. The two technicians talked to each other about things Grace didn't understand. Grace slowly rose up until she was in a sitting position. She soaked everything up in wonder. She felt like her, but Grace definitely knew this wasn't _her._ She wiggled her toes. Four of them, blue and slightly stripey. She gazed at her legs. Long and blue, slender and athletic. "That's great, Grace. Everything seems to be working fine" said the woman. Grace nodded slowly.

"Wow…" she said, "this is so… awesome." She laughed. Grace brought her hands into her view, wriggling her fingers. Grace swung her legs over the edge of the gurney. It was then she noticed the pale blue hospital gown she was wearing. She felt her ears bend back in her distaste. "When can I get this off and go outside?" she asked politely, her excitement leaking into her voice. The technicians smiled.

"Soon, we just need to run a few more tests" the man said. Grace nodded and complied with all their tests.

"All right" said the woman, an hour later. Grace looked over at her, smiling. She was now standing in front of an Avatar sized mirror, admiring herself in some Avatar sized clothes. She'd picked out a blue, plain shirt and some short jeans. After a couple of falls, she'd managed to get the hang of walking and get used to her tail. She'd been studying the tendrils at the end of her neural braid when the female technician had come to fetch her.

Grace walked slowly with measured steps through the large door and squinted into the late morning light. She wobbled slightly but felt her tail balance her. She grinned and walked towards the massive structures that looked like an Avatar sized playground. She laughed and sprinted forwards, her toes propelling her forwards.


	6. Chapter 6

A BIG thankyou to mainly Bigoldfrog for reviewing constantly! Thankyou also to DurWi and Ryle Culler. I'm going on a nine day cruise on a day, so I won't be around… But I will post when I DO get back!

~MusicalGrace

Chapter 6

Grace ran towards the low hanging branch, jumped, grasped it and then let go, feeling herself fly through the air. Once she landed, Grace turned and laughed at Niki.

"Come on, Niki! You've got to try this!" she half-shouted. Niki frowned and glanced behind her, where the Avatar bunkhouse lay.

"Everyone's going in…" she replied. Grace sighed and laughed.

"Since when were you worried about bending a few rules!" said Grace. Niki shrugged and giggled, following what Grace had done.

"See? What did I tell you! _Now_ let's go to the bunkhouse" said Grace. Without a backward glance, she sprinted towards the wooden bunkhouse where the Avatars were housed when they weren't being used. Their tails and braids flying behind them, the two women just reached the bunkhouse as Abby was closing the doors.

"Oh, hi Abby!" panted Niki, the pair slipping through the doors. Abby rolled her eyes.

"You two are like a pair of teenagers!" she said, directing them to their allocated beds. Grace laughed.

"It's just so… exhilarating!" breathed Grace. Abby nodded in agreement.

"I know what you mean. Oh yeah, your first venture into the _real _Pandora is tomorrow. The both of you are coming with me and two marine Avatars, plus one or two humans. We're going to get some samples and such. Be I the Armor Bay at 0600" said Abby. "Tell Niki, will you?"

Grace nodded and ducked into one of the showers, changed and hopped onto her bed. She pulled her braid out from under her back and lent on her side slightly, so her tail wasn't squished. She closed her eyes and breathed out slowly. The colourful, noisy tunnel re-appeared and suddenly, she was back in her human body. She opened her eyes and pushed open the lid of the link-bed.

Later that night, Grace lay on her bed. "I can't wait until we get to go beyond the barrier!" whispered Grace.

"I reckon" said Niki.

"Well, I'm gonna go to sleep now…" said Grace softly.

"Alright, see you in the morning" replied Niki. Grace flicked off her light and pulled up the light sheet around her, dropping into a soothing sleep immediately.

_I'm not gonna be late, I'm not gonna be late_ Grace thought as she and Niki ran in the general direction of the Amor Bay. They bumped into quite a few people, but they finally arrived at 0559. When Abby saw them she waved them across.

"Okay Grace, Niki, I need you two to go and link up. You'll meet two marines waiting for you once you link. They'll guide you to the chopper. I'll meet you there, I've just gotta get the science stuff."

The two women nodded and walked back the way they came. "Well, that was a waste of time!" complained Niki as the pair walked. Grace huffed and nodded.

"Yeah, but she probably just wanted to see if we'd get there on time" said Grace.

"True" replied Niki.

As they reached the Avatar Lab, Grace walked up to a couple of technicians, asking them to calibrate some link-beds. Niki was already stretching out on one. Grace lay in the one opposite her. They both pulled the lids down and settled into the mattress. Grace inhaled deeply but then grimaced.

"Yuck, gross recycled air" she muttered. Grace closed her eyes.

As she opened them again, the mesh looking 'bug net' greeted her eyes. Every Avatar bed had one, for when the drivers weren't linked, to protect the Avatars from being bitten by something. Rising to a sitting position, Grace pushed aside the mesh and smiled. A few beds across from her, Niki was in the process of linking up. Grace quickly pulled on a soft blue shirt, some jeans and some hiking boots. Without waiting for her friend, Grace ambled happily down the aisle and pushed open the great wooden doors that guarded the entrance of the bunkhouse. She inhaled deeply and smiled, savoring all of the exotic scents and sounds.

"Hey Grace!" sounded Niki's voice from behind her. Grace turned, one eyebrow raised. Niki held up a small, bottle green, wrap-around bag. "Forgetting something?"

Grace flashed her a grin, her pronounced canines glinting. "Thanks." Niki just nodded and wrapped her own little bag around her waist. The pair then ventured outside, into the warm sunlight of Pandora, their first outing. They had no idea what fate had in store for them.

The two women wandered outside, gazing about themselves in wonder. "I still can't believe we're finally here…" breathed Grace, eyes wide. Niki nodded, studying a certain flower beyond the fence. Rowdy laughter interrupted the two friends' awe. Grace turned and felt her ears flicker backwards, her annoyance evident. Niki turned too, but her blue, feline ears pricked at the sight of the small group of approaching Avatars. Niki sucked in a sharp breath, tail twitching. Grace rolled her eyes.

"Oh look" she drawled. "The three musketeers have arrived."

James and two of his buddies halted before them. James dropped a lazy wink at Niki. She giggled. Grace glowered at him. She'd decided late last night she hadn't liked James. At all.

"Looks like we're your marines" said James. Grace barely suppressed a groan. She wanted to feed him to a pack of Viperwoves, but decided against it because of all of the paperwork. And she'd probably get set back to Earth.

"Great" said Grace, oozing sarcasm. James finally looked at her and clutched his hands over his chest, feigning hurt. Grace rolled her eyes and glanced away. "Can we go?" she growled, her tail cutting the air behind her to pieces, belaying her impatience. James ignored her and instead draped a muscled, blue arm around Niki's shoulders and started chatting. Grace left them behind and strode forwards, eager to forget them and to get to the chopper. One of James' followers caught up with her and smiled warmly. He stuck out his hand in greeting saying;

"Hi, I'm Dymitri."  
Grace studied him and finally shook his hand, returning her gaze to the chopper bay.  
"Grace" she replied. Dymitri smiled.  
"Nice to meet you Grace."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Soon, everyone was in the Samson helicopter, buckled up and eager to get beyond the fence. Along with James, Dymitri and one other marine, they had been joined by Abby and their chopper pilot, Jodi. Grace glanced at Abby, who was seated comfortably in the extremely uncomfortable benches. "No… uh… humans?" she asked tentatively, not quite sure how to describe the grunts that weren't Avatar Drivers. Abby laughed and shook her head.  
"Not today!" she said, smiling. Niki, who was squished in between James and Abby, bit back a giggle as James winked at her again and said something. Grace rolled her eyes and turned away, focusing on Jodi.  
"So, Jodi, where are we going?" she asked, smiling.  
"We're heading to a small little place by a river. Abby says she needs to get some water samples and maybe some samples of some plants and stuff. I think they gotta check some traps too."  
Grace frowned. "Traps?"  
Jodi nodded, never taking her eyes off the choppers in front. "Yeah. They gotta get some specimens for studying and all sciency things. They also sometimes bring in some Tapirus for the cafeteria menu!" she said, chuckling.  
"Huh" was all Grace said.

A n hour or so later, they were air-born, flying low over the canopy of the dense rainforest. Grace was overwhelmed. She'd waited all her life for this, and here she was. It was _amazing_. A loud shriek from behind them and Grace turned, swinging her head of the open door. An Ikran dived for the cover of the jungle, disappearing. But Grace could have sworn she saw a Na'vi riding it.

All too soon, the chopper was descending through the canopy, into the forest below. Grace peered out of the door, drinking in _everything_. It was so green and full of life and… wonderful. Grace smiled. Everyone was peering out of the doors, even James. As the helicopter was hovering just above the lush ground, James, Dymitri and the other marine whose name Grace hadn't learnt yet, leapt out, ducked under the rotors, guns in hand and scouted the area. Grace frowned slightly, but nothing could quell her pure joy. As soon as Jodi let them, she was unbuckled and leaping out of the chopper onto the green, lush jungle floor. She swept her hands through the assortment of grasses and plants, memorizing their textures and scents. She inhaled deeply. Grace was in heaven. She felt utterly at home here, like she had finally, after a lifetime of searching, found where she belonged. Grace smiled.

Abby was in the lead, the anonymous marine behind her, Dymitri with Grace and James with Niki at the rear of the group. Dymitri simply stayed behind Grace, silent and watchful. Grace didn't mind his presence; she was too caught up in the world around her. The branches and roots intertwined around her, weaving throughout the jungle. Moss and vines hung off them. All sorts of flora covered the jungle floor, ethereal green, vibrant reds and yellows, mysterious purples and blues. It was so intoxicatingly beautiful. Grace couldn't help but feeling like she was part of it, although she knew she was not. She was an invader. An alien to this wondrous planet.  
"The river's just up here!" called Abby, jerking Grace out of her inner ponderings. She hurried to catch up to the taller Avatar, unzipping her waist bag in the process and grabbing a vial, some bottles, an eyedropper and some tweezers. When Abby saw her getting out her equipment, she shook her head.  
"You and Niki go and check the traps. Take your bodyguards with you!" said Abby.  
"Right. Where are the traps and what are supposed to be in them?" asked Grace, packing up her equipment again. Abby motioned vaguely to the north, away from the river, deeper into the jungle.  
"There's 'sposed to be some Tapirus, birds and Prolemuris in 'em."  
Grace grinned and started in that direction, without waiting for anyone. Dymitri, Niki and James scurried to catch up with her.

Twenty minutes of walking later, Grace vaulted over a massive root that snaked its way over the jungle floor.  
"We should be close now, shouldn't we?" panted Niki from behind her. James and Dymitri shrugged glancing at Grace. The Avatar nodded slowly.  
"I think –hope – so" she replied, scanning the small clearing before her. Sunlight streamed through the canopy in shimmering shafts. The ground was covered by moss, grasses and other smaller plants. There was still many interlocking branches above the, providing the perfect place for a Na'vi to hide. For the first time that day, Grace felt fear flutter in her stomach. On the far side of the clearing were maybe four or five metal cages, glinting in the light. Taking a deep breath, Grace stepped into the clearing, Dymitri beside her, gun up. Niki and James followed. Walking softly, trying not to step on plants, Grace made her way over to the traps. That's when she first noticed something was wrong. The cages were open, empty. Grace peered at them, her brow furrowed. Niki arrived beside her.  
"Maybe a malfunction?" she suggested sheepishly. Dymitri shook his head, pointing one long blue finger to another, larger cage. It was bent at odd angles, shattered and broken open. "Broken… as in maybe the Na'vi broke it open, freeing the animals?" whispered Niki, her tail flicking nervously.  
"Don't worry darlin'" said James, winking at her again. "I won let the bugger's hurt you." He draped a well-muscled arm around her shoulders and scowled at the trees, as if that would make a difference. Grace snorted ad shook her head, glaring at him.  
"Don't you know _anything_?" she said. James opened his mouth to reply, but Grace cut him off. "The Na'vi could be here, studying us _right now_. They could be behind that tree, or up there" she said pointing to the canopy. "They are the masters of camouflage. You wouldn't see one until it was too late. They have bows and arrow which have a toxin on them which can kill you pretty much instantly. They could kill you and no one would know." Grace glowered at him, daring him to prove her wrong. Wisely, he kept his mouth shut and shouldered his gun. Grace looked away and smirked.  
"No Tapirus for lunch then , I guess" said Dymitri softly, trying to break the awkward air. Niki stifled a laugh and bit her lip. Grace cracked a small smile. She sighed.  
"Let's go back then, shall we?" she said, already moving across the clearing. But just as they were leaving the clearing, a small clump of moss fell from the canopy above. Niki froze. James' ears lay flat against his head and all their tails swished nervously.  
"What was that?" whimpered Niki, not daring to move. Grace slowly glanced up. Nothing. She exhaled loudly.  
"Nothing, but let's get going guys." James muttered something under his breath that sounded remarkably like; 'Bloody blue savages.' Grace was about to turn and snap at him when an almighty roar exploded from the south. Suddenly, a cloud of smoke and fire erupted, billowing into the air. The whole group froze.  
"What was _that!_" Niki squeaked, her eyes wide.  
"I… I think that was the helicopter" Dymitri said slowly. James, Niki, Dymitri and Grace leapt forwards, running towards the explosion.

Grace ran into the clearing, her heart pounding. She froze, mid-step. The helicopter, what was left of it, was splintered metal, all over the place. The fire was still burning. "Abby! Abby, where are you! ABBY!" screamed Grace. Temporarily forgetting that Abby couldn't actually die while she was connected to her Avatar, Grace searched the clearing with Dymitri at her side. Just as Dymitri was giving up, Grace saw a large, blue mass underneath a large piece of metal. "I found her!" she called, as Niki and James came running. It was the first time Grace had seen James not acting like an arrogant pig. Frowning, she turned to Dymitri. "Where is the other Marine?" she asked. It was James who answered.

"We found his Avatar. Couldn't tell if he was knocked-out or is Avatar got killed" he said. Biting her lip, Grace's frown deepened. She turned back to Abby and moved closer so she could get a good grip on the rotor that was trapping the scientist. Without a word, Dymitri was by her side, hefting the metal. Her brow creasing with the effort, she and Dymitri managed to drag the rotor off Abby, with some help from Niki and James. Then they all looked up expectantly at Grace. Nibbling her lip, she sighed. "Looks like I'm it, eh? Okay, so who has medical experience?" James snorted and Niki shook her head. Dymitri nodded slightly.

"I did some basic training." Grace nodded and was about to direct the others to various jobs when she remembered their human 'copter driver. She gasped.

"What about Jodi!"

Niki's eyes widened as she and the other cast around desperately for the smaller, tanned body of their pilot. A yell came from James, who had moved to the other side of the clearing. The other three ran to his side. Grace's breath hitched in her throat. Jodi lay on the soft ground, her body bent at all the wrong angles. Niki's bottom lip quivered as her wide eyes glistened with tears. Dymitri sighed. Grace simply stared at the kind human woman. Vaguely, she registered how she said human as if she wasn't one anymore. But most of her was simply shocked. She closed her eyes and turned her head from the mangled, burnt body. James had wrapped an arm around Niki and she was sobbing quietly into his chest. His ears were flattened slightly in sadness, as were everyone else's.

"H-how are we going to get out of here now?" sobbed Niki. Grace's tail swished nervously as anxiety flushed through her body. Dymitri opened his mouth to reply when an eerie call echoed through the forest. All the Avatars glanced up in shock as the ululations got louder and louder. James hissed, his ears flat against his inky hair. Niki was frozen against his large chest, only her eyes moving. Dymitri and James pulled out their guns, aiming at the forest.

"No!" snarled Grace as she pushed Dymitri's gun down roughly. He glanced at her, his dark eyebrows disappearing into his hairline. "This is their home, we are invaders. Look as peaceful as possible. I am fluent in Na'vi."

Shaking his head, James lowered his weapon slightly. Suddenly, the calls stopped.


End file.
